Dana Vaughns – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the pop artist, Dana Vaughns, chats about what he does before taking the stage. You can check out what he does and listen to his newest single, “DNA”, after the break.

Typically before a show, I’ll wake up and make sure to have a big home-cooked breakfast. There’s something about having a big day ahead of you and having a big breakfast that just gets me ready to tackle anything that comes my way. I then make sure I have everything I need from water, honey, tea bags, cough drops, to my clothes. Now it’s time to hit the venue.

When I arrive at the venue I put my stuff in the green room and head to the sound guys to introduce myself and assess the stage of the show later that night. At this point, I’ve warmed up another tea and get ready for soundcheck. I’ll do some vocal exercises to ensure I’m sound checking at the same level of my show so we can get an adequate level and ready to rock and roll come show time.

Meet n Greet!! This is a big part of my pre-show ritual. Meeting the fans plays a big part in how I feel going on stage. It’s important for me to have that personal touch and connection with the fans before I go on so when I do step out I feel like we’re in this moment together.

The hour leading up to show time, I’m getting my head together. Going over any notes from previous shows, making sure I’m staying hydrated up until the point I walk on stage, and singing through the songs I’ll be performing. I also have a habit of turning lonely chairs and heavy things in the venue to weights that I use to get a little pre-show pump to get my blood flowing. I used to have my headphones on 24/7, but now that I’m a little more hands-on with my career and my show I like being engaged with everything going on around me.

It’s now 5 minutes until I go on. I find a quiet spot and say a prayer for myself and more importantly the fans and lives that I’m hoping to inspire through my performance and my genuine personality I make sure to showcase during my set. That alone gives me comfort when I get anxious. Knowing that I’ve been given a talent to give others a sense of hope, life, and a role model that they can look up too.

Keep up with the artist on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!